The present invention relates to article support attachments for wheelchairs and in particular to a support which can be readily adjusted throughout the proximity of the occupant.
Numerous attachments have been developed which aid the person in a wheelchair. Among these are devices which attach to the arm rest or frame member tubing, such as trays, receptacles, and supports. The trays are generally at arm rest level, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,467, entitled Retractable Attachment For Chair Arms, issued to W. McFarland et al. on Nov. 2, 1965, and as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,362, entitled Tray Attachment For Wheelchairs, issued to Richard L. Large on Mar. 11, 1975, and as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,887, entitled Support For a Paraplegic Wheel Chair, issued to Edward A. Petersen on Aug. 4, 1970. These trays are fixed in vertical and angular position and are not intended to provide fastening support to articles. The receptacles are also generally at arm rest level, and are of limited adjustability, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,569, entitled Receptacle Attachment For Wheelchair Arm, issued to Lester H. Bennet on Sept. 18, 1973, and as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,428, entitled Drop On Lift Off Basket Assembly For a Wheelchair, issued to Clarence W. Bates on June 19, 1979. These receptacles are essentially fixed in vertical, horizontal, and angular position and provide passive enclosure rather than fastening support to articles. Other supports are more adjustable but of a single or specialized application, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,665, entitled Easy Drinker Device, issued to Mary G. S. Ryan on Feb. 23, 1965, and as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,589, entitled Head or Back Support For Wheelchair, issued to Buddy F. Lane on May 1, 1973. These supports are adjustable in several directions but are intended to provide a particular support function rather than a generalized mounting for various articles. None of these patents describe or anticipate a wheelchair attachment which is fully adjustable in vertical, horizontal, and angular directions throughout the arm length proximity of the occupant and which provides fastening support to light and medium weight articles of different types.
The need for an adjustable generalized fastening support attachment exists because many persons in wheelchairs have sufficient use of their arms and hands to manipulate articles or operate devices within reach, and to adjust an easily positioned support of such articles or devices.